Have you ever purchased something only to realize that you already have it at home? Me too! I have purchased all sorts of things from vegetables to dried goods to meats, only to realize that I already have that item at home. This bad habit could have been prevented if I made it a habit to properly keep track of what I have in my kitchen.
I am thankful to have gone through a fresh start earlier this year, as I finally got my own apartment! I made sure that my kitchen is as organized and efficient as possible so I do not waste money buying things that I already have (but have forgotten about) and also am able to find whatever I need quickly.
Here are 11 practical tips that have helped me to have the most organized and efficient kitchen in my apartment. I hope that you find them useful too!
1. Display your most used items outside
How nice will it be to keep everything away in your cabinets and drawers, so your kitchen can look as minimalist as possible. However, it can get quite annoying to constantly have to open the cabinets to reach out for the items. Therefore, don’t be afraid to display what you use on a daily basis out on the countertops.
The items that I display permanently on my kitchen countertops are my kettle, blender, rice cooker, knives holder, chopping boards, 4-in-1 microwave oven and my breakfast corner (I will share more about this in point 7). The reason why I display them on the countertop is because I use these items very often. It will be very ridiculous to store them in the cabinets and always have to take them out whenever I need them (which is every other day).
2. Consider adding some loose shelves to store even more frequently used items
You can consider adding loose shelves in your kitchen to increase the storage space. What I love about loose open shelves is that they are an opportunity to display cute, practical items like my Bialetti coffee maker, french press, tissue box. I find that displaying these items on an open shelf (instead of inside a cabinet) has made them so much more easier to grab and also has given my kitchen some extra character.
3. Categorize properly and have labels
- Categorizing everything will help you keep track of everything you have, so you will always place the items back where they should be. You should also use labels to label everything so the chances of you confusing ingredients that look similar (eg baking soda and baking powder) is reduced. A very easy way you can do this is to use waterproof sticker paper to print out the labels. I love my quaint little HP Laser Printer that I use to print ALL my kitchen labels (and also all my soap and candle packaging as well). It is important to use waterproof sticker paper so that the printed text will not smudge easily.
4. Make everything look aesthetically pleasing
I am someone who gets annoyed when an item looks out of place in a kitchen. Eg, a glove with a really terrible pattern or a piece of equipment on display that does not match the rest of the equipment that is on display. Even if we want to save as much money as possible (hence we buy those cheaper, out of place, ugly stuff), sometimes it is good to spend just a little bit more for something that is more cohesive with everything else in your kitchen.
Also, if you are resourceful enough, you should be able to find items that match well, and are also still within your budget.
5. Ensure that there is nothing hidden
You may feel tempted to fill up every nook and cranny in your cabinets, no matter how deep they are. I completely advise you not to just fill up all your cabinets to the brim, as there is a high likelihood that you may forget what you have at the back of your cabinets. Also, having everything in full view means that there is a much lesser chance of having pests lurking in the darkness of your cabinets.
6. Keep important items within reach
It can be really annoying to have to dig through various utensils to get the item you want. Therefore, it is important not to just fill your cabinets to the brim and to keep everything within reach. To maximize the use of your cabinets, you can consider getting containers that are easy to slide in and out of each cabinet. Another great storage item is the storage wheel. The storage wheel is a useful and fun item you can use to maximize the storage of your various condiments and yet easily reach out for whichever condiment you need at any given moment.
7. Have a breakfast corner
For me, I do not want to think so much about my breakfast each morning, especially during weekdays. My breakfasts usually consist of either toast with peanut butter and jelly or some overnight oats (that I make the night before). Since my breakfast is so straightforward, I have a breakfast corner that ONLY consists of breakfast ingredients. I love my breakfast corner as it has everything I need for my breakfast in the mornings. Having all the ingredients in one place helps me take my mind off thinking of what to eat for breakfast, and also helps me save a fair bit of time in the mornings.
8. Have a coffee corner
These days, more and more homes have a space set aside just for a coffee station, including my home! There is something really organized about dedicating a space to just one thing, eg coffee or breakfast. Just like how a breakfast corner helps you focus more on breakfast, a coffee corner will help you focus more on coffee. In this coffee corner, you can display your coffee machine, coffee powder/granules/capsules, coffee cups, coffee pots, and all other things related to coffee.
9. Place essentials like water or snacks where it is most easily accessible
Sometimes, you may be cooking up a storm in the kitchen and do not want others to come in while you are cooking. Therefore, you need to design your kitchen such that essentials like water or fruit are easily accessible for others, without disrupting your cooking session.
For this reason, I recommend that you place your essentials like your water flask and your fridge (that contains your snacks, fruit, etc) near your kitchen entrance. I myself designed my kitchen such that my hot water flask, old school water-only teapot and my fridge are nearer to the door. I am loving this layout!
10. Place heavy items that require frequent washing near the sink
There may be certain equipment that you frequently use, hence they also require frequent washing. However some of these equipment can be really heavy. For example, my Philips blender is made of a thick glass and hence it is much heavier than a plastic blender. Placing my Philips blender next to my sink has made it so easy to wash whenever I use it, which is at least twice a week.
I also find that displaying my Philips blender on top of my counter next to my sink has made the process so much faster and efficient. Whenever I want to use my Philips blender, I can easily just plug it in and let it run, after which I can efficiently wash it in the sink that is just right next to it.
11. Position items based on your intuition
Lastly, in order to have an efficiently organized kitchen, you need to have a good feel of your kitchen and where you prefer every item to be. It may take some trial and error to decide where you want to place everything and how you want to categorize them. However, once you figure it out, organizing your kitchen will be a complete breeze.